Cultivating Miscanthus grass

Elephant grass is usually cultivated in spring, between early April and late May, depending on the region and climate. Planting in autumn is also possible, but, for the area that is still managed at the moment and planted in Europe, the logistics is quite possible in spring.

Fine crumbling of soil is inevitable for successful cultivating the elephant grass. Just as in maize cultivation, it is important to ensure good soil-contact and the utmost freedom of weeds. Maize cultivation is generally a good indicator of a working elephant grass cultivation: The simple general rule “where corn grows well, elephant grass thrives, too” presents itself as practicable again and again.

In Austria, there were about 1,200 hectaresof arable land in 2013, while Germany demonstrated higher growth rates, but at a lower level. In our assessment, the largest elephant grass areas are more likely to occur South-East European countries like Romania, Bulgaria, and Ukraine, in the near future.